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Castle Grayskull (MOTU) Custom
- Thread starter ozzy-scaper
- Start date
BjornAbust
New member
Dude, great work. Masterful, really. I wish I had the skill to make things like this!
Tokah Phatee
New member
Lookin' good! Brings me back to childhood...
ozzy-scaper
New member
Hi all,
Slowly progressing with Grayskull. Please keep the comments coming! Work/life/stuff has been keeping me busy, so progress isn't as fruitful as I'd like. Nevermind. I'm currently at the fiddly stage of detailing the brickwork with my Dremel. Here's some more pics to show where I'm at...
The above pic shows the interior of the front piece. Eventually it'll have a dungeon downstairs, banquet hall and throne room way up in the dome.
The above pic shows the two 'holes' in the roof when assembled. I intend to make two transparent inserts ("stained glass ceilings") to place in the openings to close the castle up when displayed. Picture the look of Tundra ice tiles.
The above pics (obviously) compare my custom version to the original playsets. By working to a similar (bigger) scale as the old playsets, but making it for miniature figures, the castle takes on a more epic proportion. I started with the original jaw-bridge from my childhood castle and went from there. When I finish (some day) I intend to have a fourth floor piece to allow display as an open fortress like in the above shot, as well as a diorama base complete with craggy stone stairs to display the castle on.
Just...have...to...keep...working...on.......it.....
G.
Slowly progressing with Grayskull. Please keep the comments coming! Work/life/stuff has been keeping me busy, so progress isn't as fruitful as I'd like. Nevermind. I'm currently at the fiddly stage of detailing the brickwork with my Dremel. Here's some more pics to show where I'm at...
The above pic shows the interior of the front piece. Eventually it'll have a dungeon downstairs, banquet hall and throne room way up in the dome.
The above pic shows the two 'holes' in the roof when assembled. I intend to make two transparent inserts ("stained glass ceilings") to place in the openings to close the castle up when displayed. Picture the look of Tundra ice tiles.
The above pics (obviously) compare my custom version to the original playsets. By working to a similar (bigger) scale as the old playsets, but making it for miniature figures, the castle takes on a more epic proportion. I started with the original jaw-bridge from my childhood castle and went from there. When I finish (some day) I intend to have a fourth floor piece to allow display as an open fortress like in the above shot, as well as a diorama base complete with craggy stone stairs to display the castle on.
Just...have...to...keep...working...on.......it.....
G.
GeneralRolando
Active member
Thats not a custom. It's a battlefield. lol
tomcollins2000
New member
Nice! Bring on the He-Man customs!
ozzy-scaper
New member
Hey guys,
Sorry for the sloooow progress. It's heading into winter here and I'm doing the seasonal adjustment thing of feeling too cold to be motivated to do anything (I'll get over it). I'll get back to work on the castle shortly...
In the meantime - Porkins, I'm not sure which particular Dremel bit I'm using. It's a mix of a few I have. I use a rounded burrowing type bit to make the initial lines/cuts on the MDF. I follow that with a pointed 'sanding' type bit to get that 'scuffed groove' effect of stonework. I then rub a sanding block briskly over the MDF to clean up the mess that the bits leave behind (the fine 'flashing' left behind after the rough Dremel cuts).
Working with PVC plumbing pipes is really messy Dremel work! The castle turrets were a nightmare to etch out as you couldn't rest your hand on the curved surface. The Dremel cuts needed to be worked on a low angle so that the Dremel was almost flat against the curve of the pipe to produce the same effect as on the MDF board itself.
SgtHulka - nice custom He-man card. I've just picked up an 'Avatars of War' generic barbarian figure that looks like it'll make a great 'wild' He-man figure reminiscent of the orginal mini-comics portrayal of He-man.
More pics soon...
G.
Sorry for the sloooow progress. It's heading into winter here and I'm doing the seasonal adjustment thing of feeling too cold to be motivated to do anything (I'll get over it). I'll get back to work on the castle shortly...
In the meantime - Porkins, I'm not sure which particular Dremel bit I'm using. It's a mix of a few I have. I use a rounded burrowing type bit to make the initial lines/cuts on the MDF. I follow that with a pointed 'sanding' type bit to get that 'scuffed groove' effect of stonework. I then rub a sanding block briskly over the MDF to clean up the mess that the bits leave behind (the fine 'flashing' left behind after the rough Dremel cuts).
Working with PVC plumbing pipes is really messy Dremel work! The castle turrets were a nightmare to etch out as you couldn't rest your hand on the curved surface. The Dremel cuts needed to be worked on a low angle so that the Dremel was almost flat against the curve of the pipe to produce the same effect as on the MDF board itself.
SgtHulka - nice custom He-man card. I've just picked up an 'Avatars of War' generic barbarian figure that looks like it'll make a great 'wild' He-man figure reminiscent of the orginal mini-comics portrayal of He-man.
More pics soon...
G.
Quack188
New member
ozzy-scaper
New member
Hi all,
Slowly getting there with Grayskull. Just finished work on the castle jawbridge. Still working on the idea of re-creating the original box artwork from the 80's of a looming, forboding fortress. Feedback would be appreciated re the 'bony fingers/crown/skull facade' that I'm going for. Remember it'll all be painted dull greens and black. I'm trying to achieve the idea of making the skull aspect of the castle fully playable from a miniatures point of view (hence the idea of the 'crown' extending from the brow of the skull face to allow for a wraparound walkway...
How is it looking?
Cheers,
G.
Slowly getting there with Grayskull. Just finished work on the castle jawbridge. Still working on the idea of re-creating the original box artwork from the 80's of a looming, forboding fortress. Feedback would be appreciated re the 'bony fingers/crown/skull facade' that I'm going for. Remember it'll all be painted dull greens and black. I'm trying to achieve the idea of making the skull aspect of the castle fully playable from a miniatures point of view (hence the idea of the 'crown' extending from the brow of the skull face to allow for a wraparound walkway...
How is it looking?
Cheers,
G.
Carnival Man
New member
I'm just wondering if much of your detail will be lost visually if you do paint it all dark colors & black. If you do keep it dark I would suggest being very liberal with light or white drybrushing to bring out all that fine detail you put into it already. 
ozzy-scaper
New member
I'm just wondering if much of your detail will be lost visually if you do paint it all dark colors & black. If you do keep it dark I would suggest being very liberal with light or white drybrushing to bring out all that fine detail you put into it already.
Good point - but don't worry! As I'll be keeping it true to the 80's original it will be dark greens and blacks - but I'll be washing it (I think - still playing around with ideas) with a dirty grey to give the recesses a mortar-like appearance. That should separate the 'rocks' into 'bricks' as I'm going for a 'rising up out of the stone of the mountain' effect. But you're right - the key will be highlighting it to define the rugged walls. I'll also be using dull bronzes and golds here and there to further lighten things up.
Am currently working on job appliciations - but am obviously procrastinating at the moment - and am hoping to get downstairs later to get back into it. I want to finish the castle soon before my interest in the project wanes. As it does...
Thanks for all the comments!
G.
Please don't let that happen. This is way too cool of a project (and you have done so much work on it) to not ever see it completed. It looks like it would be a huge success to me if you were to move into painting it next without adding any thing more. So if you are getting burnt out on creating all the detail work, you have enough to satisfy most everyone on the planet.
ozzy-scaper
New member
Hi there all (esp. those still wondering if this project will ever get finished),
Progress is moving along in fits and spurts. Work on Grayskull fits in nicely between every other damn job that gets in the way of actually doing stuff I enjoy (think - renovations, work, mowing a zombie-like lawn that just...won't...die...).
Anyway, here's where I'm up to.
As you can see I've finished the 'joining' section that allows for the open position of the castle. Very tedious - lots of fiddly work...
Above - where the telescope/lab and garage will go. I'm already working on HS friendly Battle Ram Sky Sleds (c'mon you 80's kids - you know what I'm talkin' about) to go in the garage. Will also be making a telescope to rise up off the balcony. Imagine it all painted and less 'plastic bits stuck on wood' when finished.
Above - armoury. When finished clay/plaster will blend plastic pieces into rock wall. Also, I've ordered some random weapons that will be glued to the grey wall pieces - sort of like a shop display for violent people looking for laser guns...
Above - how the rear 'hall' section of the castle will look when closed up. When painted the grey hex plate facing you will look like a modern He-Man icon. I'll also be including flags/drapery hanging down either side of the centre elevator column.
Above - close up of the rough/unfinished turret that will form the elevator. The elevator platform will rise up and finish level with the turret floor. The uprights will eventually be shaped into skeletal fingers to match the front of the castle.
Above - an up-to-date outside shot. When finished the castle will have a flag rising out of the column atop the dome, as well as three laser turrets. The elevator 'skeletal fingers' will be sanded to be thinner again.
I've finished a lot of the pesky details and am preparing (soon) to start painting. Another project will involve making a tower to stand directly inside the castle courtyard (when displayed open) that will have walkways leading off from it to meet the other walkways, thus making a fully functional gaming playset when either open or closed.
Ultimately I also want to throw together a huge stand that will display the castle open, and will form the 'bowels' of Grayskull. It'll be huge and visually amazing. I've already got the materials, and it'll be simply two huge pieces of MDF, columns inside made out of plumber's supplies, and a facade of foam or bark and clay. Stay tuned...
Yeah - the project is getting kinda huge... but it's also proving to be a lot of fun. Just wish I had more time to work on it...
Thoughts...?
G.
Progress is moving along in fits and spurts. Work on Grayskull fits in nicely between every other damn job that gets in the way of actually doing stuff I enjoy (think - renovations, work, mowing a zombie-like lawn that just...won't...die...).
Anyway, here's where I'm up to.
As you can see I've finished the 'joining' section that allows for the open position of the castle. Very tedious - lots of fiddly work...
Above - where the telescope/lab and garage will go. I'm already working on HS friendly Battle Ram Sky Sleds (c'mon you 80's kids - you know what I'm talkin' about) to go in the garage. Will also be making a telescope to rise up off the balcony. Imagine it all painted and less 'plastic bits stuck on wood' when finished.
Above - armoury. When finished clay/plaster will blend plastic pieces into rock wall. Also, I've ordered some random weapons that will be glued to the grey wall pieces - sort of like a shop display for violent people looking for laser guns...
Above - how the rear 'hall' section of the castle will look when closed up. When painted the grey hex plate facing you will look like a modern He-Man icon. I'll also be including flags/drapery hanging down either side of the centre elevator column.
Above - close up of the rough/unfinished turret that will form the elevator. The elevator platform will rise up and finish level with the turret floor. The uprights will eventually be shaped into skeletal fingers to match the front of the castle.
Above - an up-to-date outside shot. When finished the castle will have a flag rising out of the column atop the dome, as well as three laser turrets. The elevator 'skeletal fingers' will be sanded to be thinner again.
I've finished a lot of the pesky details and am preparing (soon) to start painting. Another project will involve making a tower to stand directly inside the castle courtyard (when displayed open) that will have walkways leading off from it to meet the other walkways, thus making a fully functional gaming playset when either open or closed.
Ultimately I also want to throw together a huge stand that will display the castle open, and will form the 'bowels' of Grayskull. It'll be huge and visually amazing. I've already got the materials, and it'll be simply two huge pieces of MDF, columns inside made out of plumber's supplies, and a facade of foam or bark and clay. Stay tuned...
Yeah - the project is getting kinda huge... but it's also proving to be a lot of fun. Just wish I had more time to work on it...
Thoughts...?
G.